Our Most Popular Motoryachts of 2020 - 12/23/20
BoatTEST Newsletter December 23, 2020
Motoryachts
Today, we’re looking at some of the top researched motoryachts. There is nothing quite as awesome on the water as a large motoryacht and perhaps we all (secretly) dream of owning one. For the lucky few in our audience, we offer up the models that our readers found most interesting. See if you can find out why.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy New Year from the BoatTEST team.
Video Buyer's Guide
How to Design a Motoryacht Main Deck
In this video buyer’s guide, we provide a look at nine main-deck layout plans for flush-deck or pilothouse motoryachts ranging from 64’ to 90’ (19.51 m x 27.43 m), covering most general design considerations. Should the galley be forward or aft, up or down, closed or open? Should the dining area be athwartship or longitudinal, built-in or freestanding, formal or informal? Find the one layout that best suits you. More...
Test Video
Absolute Navetta 68:
Max Cube Design w/2 Master Staterooms
When the Absolute Navetta 68 was introduced earlier this year, she was bound to be one of the most looked-at motoryachts of the year. She is right in step with the European trend toward plumb bows and max-cube living room below, yet she keeps elements of a traditional motoryacht. The Navetta 68 has two master staterooms, thanks to the full bow. Both have lots of room and large hullside windows. In our book, this solves a problem most motoryacht owners we know have — which is namely giving their VIP guest couple a cramped, small, tapered island berth crammed into the pointy bow. Owners of the Navetta 68 will suffer no such embarrassment, thanks to the design. She has one of the largest flying bridges in class and it features a hardtop with sunroof, a service bar with integrated galley and al fresca dining for at least six. There are lounges on each side of the centrally-located helm plus space for movable furniture on the aft boat deck. For those who prefer the sun, the Navetta 68’s bow invites with four-wide sunpads with individually adjusting backrests and a sofa-style lounge just aft. Twin Volvo Penta D13 IPS 1200 pods make her manageable by an owner/operator. More...
Video
Monte Carlo Yachts 70 Skylounge:
Italian “Skylounge” Yacht Makes Her Debut
Monte Carlo Yachts 70 Skylounge
It should come as no surprise that the Monte Carlo Yachts 70 Skylounge was one of our most popular motoryachts of 2020. The first-ever enclosed flying bridge model from any Italian yacht builder that we know of is a motoryacht that combines the practicality of an enclosed flying bridge with the sleek curving lines that have become a Monte Carlo signature. We have always liked skylounges because they add so much utility to a yacht, at a relatively small up-charge. We suspect that the reason this is the first Italian skylounge is that designers couldn’t figure out how to make them sleek. But the Nuvolari Lenard design house has obviously broken the code. The black windshield and side window masking is the key, along with the yacht’s contrasting white curves. Those who enjoy the outdoors will appreciate the aft deck and bow area, which has been turned into one of the most desirable and romantic places on the yacht for cocktails, sunning and even a chichi lunch (pass the cucumber sandwich, please.) A stunning, billowy white awning is optional. For accommodations, the master stateroom has its own entry, which provides privacy for all concerned. More...
Features Video
Neptunus 650 Flybridge:
Built w/Personal Pride by Artisans
Neptunus Yachts has been building boats in the same yard in Canada for 30 years and has launched more than 175 motoryachts in that time frame. It’s not a big production builder stamping out motoryachts by the dozens each year, but rather a small yard where its craftspeople take pride in their work. Their job is an important part of their life and that TLC can be seen all over their boats. The 650 Flybridge is built with Kevlar for added strength and the laminate is resin-infused for proper saturation levels. To keep noise down, the engine compartment overhead has 3” (7.62 cm) of soundproofing material. The only helm on the boat is on the flying bridge and the area can be fully enclosed for virtually year-round cruising. Not having a helm station on the main deck opens up the salon and permitted a galley-up plan with full-sized appliances and a serving island. Belowdecks, she sleeps six in an aft master, forward VIP and guest cabin, plus aft crew quarters. More...
Test Video
Ocean Alexander 28R:
Form Follows Function in the New Genre
The R stands for Revolution and the new series is designed to be a modern departure from the company’s traditional offerings and designs that emphasized classic styling. She was designed by Evan K Marshall, who learned his craft on the drawing boards at S&S, which was, perhaps, the best naval architectural school in the world in its day for yacht design. There, the emphasis was on speed, seaworthiness and a shippy look. Marshall and his peers have created a new genre of motoryachts, starting on the inside and designing out. By focusing on the function most owners want, instead of the exterior styling, they created large and dramatic entertaining venues. Placing the comfort and luxury of owners and guests before sleek lines and tail fins resulted in salons and staterooms that are large and open, not something squeezed into a cool exterior shape. After all, these yachts cost more than most people’s homes, so they should be eminently livable. With the OA 28R, her owner will always have stunning waterfront views, without the astronomical property taxes. More...
Features Video
Sirena Yachts 88:
Wide-Body Motoryacht Designed for Living
Sirena Yachts’ 88 is a motoryacht designed by one of the world’s leading naval architects, German Frers. He learned his craft at S&S and has designed some of the fastest racing sailboats in the world. The lessons learned making sailboats go half a knot faster and be able to withstand the bashing of ocean races has held him in good stead with the Sirena Yachts 88. Her delivery crew reported to us that she was sea-kindly in rough weather and surprisingly fuel-efficient. Notably, her aft section can be customized. The stern can be configured as a garage or an outdoor gathering area. One owner had the stern built for use as a beach club, and the coffee tables were customized with notches that turn them into a rack for securing the tender. Other highlights include a full-beam master stateroom on the main deck with a “back door” that leads up to the patio on the foredeck that has a romantic Infinity plunge pool. A large picture window to port graces with an elegant writing desk with a lamp and views to die for (depending on where you are, of course). This boat is a true liveaboard-in-splendor yacht, rivaling much larger traditional vessels in inside deck space. More...
Test Video
Summit Motoryachts 54:
New Motoryacht Brand w/Cruising Pedigree
The team at Kadey-Krogen Yachts wanted to combine its ability to create a livable displacement-speed world cruiser with a motoryacht that runs faster than a trawler. Management turned to Michael Peters Yacht Design to draft a planing hull. The result of the collaboration is Summit Motoryachts, a new division of Kadey-Krogen. We tested the Summit 54’ (16.46 m) and recorded a top speed of 23.5 knots and a comfortable cruise of 17 to 21 knots. She’s a modern motoryacht designed for coastal and island cruising but retains the seaworthiness for which K-K yachts are known. More...
Boating News of the Week: Episode #34
We wind up this year’s Weekly BoatTEST Reports videos with an interview with Brunswick’s CEO predicting the next couple of years of boating activity. Then, we'll take a look at the affordable Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185, see the first video of Cruisers Yachts’ 42 GLS Crossover, check out Chaparral’s 23 Surf in action, and get a look at Everglades’s only dual console – the 340DC – and Absolute’s new 50 Fly. As always, there is boating news and a quiz for serious captains. More...
Photo of the Day
Helping Dad secure the boat after a cruise on San Diego Bay.
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